Koha vs Surpass

KKoha8.8Visit Surpass8.4Visit

Higher score K Koha #3 in School Library Management Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Koha

vs

Surpass #6 in School Library Management Software 8.4/10 Paid ✓ 5 of 6 features Visit Surpass

• Koha fits best

  Budget-conscious schools with technical capacity

• Surpass fits best

  Schools wanting transparent entry pricing

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Side by side

Feature	KKoha 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Surpass 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.4
Ranking	#3 in School Library Management Software	#6 in School Library Management Software
Best for	Budget-conscious schools with technical capacity	Schools wanting transparent entry pricing
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starting price	Free plan	$55/mo
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Cloud, Desktop
Platforms	Web, Linux	Web, Windows
Support	Community, Docs, Live chat	Docs
Integrations	5 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Koha 5/6 · Surpass 5/6
Circulation tools	✓	✓
Acquisitions	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Borrower portal	✓	✓
Custom reporting	✓	✓
MARC records	✓	✓
Student system sync	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Deployment	On-premise	Cloud
Our review
Pros	Free and open-source with circulation, acquisitions, and cataloging MARC frameworks, imports, authorities, serials, and custom reporting Borrower portal, offline circulation, notices, and label printing	Circulation, holds, renewals, OPAC, and self-check tools OneRoster, SIP2, and digital-resource integrations MARC import, ISBN lookup, and custom reporting
Cons	On-premise Linux deployment requires technical administration Community-governed rather than a single-vendor SaaS product SIS synchronization is not established as a core fit	No free plan is available K-12 school pricing is handled separately from general plans Premier pricing is $200 per location monthly, billed annually
Our verdict	Koha is a free, open-source integrated library system for libraries ranging from single-branch institutions to large consortia. For school libraries, it brings core circulation workflows such as checkout, check-in, renewal, and offline… Read the review →	Surpass is library management software for school librarians and other library organizations. It combines cataloging, circulation, renewals, holds, public catalog access, self-check, patron management, reporting, notices, and MARC… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Koha — where it wins

  • Free and open-source with circulation, acquisitions, and cataloging
  • MARC frameworks, imports, authorities, serials, and custom reporting
  • Borrower portal, offline circulation, notices, and label printing

  Where it doesn't

  • On-premise Linux deployment requires technical administration
  • Community-governed rather than a single-vendor SaaS product
  • SIS synchronization is not established as a core fit

• Surpass — where it wins

  • Circulation, holds, renewals, OPAC, and self-check tools
  • OneRoster, SIP2, and digital-resource integrations
  • MARC import, ISBN lookup, and custom reporting

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • K-12 school pricing is handled separately from general plans
  • Premier pricing is $200 per location monthly, billed annually

• KKoha8.8/10 · Free plan

  A capable, free ILS for schools that can manage an on-premise Linux deployment.

  Visit KohaFull verdict →
• Surpass8.4/10 · Paid

  A broad school library system with clear entry pricing and flexible deployment.

  Visit SurpassFull verdict →